Fresh Start
Wed, January 30, 2013 at 01:55AM 
More Daisy Yellow. Yup.
Here's what I'm doing.
1. Linking from DY to posts that I enjoy. It's more personal than tweeting, posting on facebook, pinning... it's like handwriting a letter instead of an email. Creating mail art instead of an e-greeting card. Or these days, writing an email instead of a text. I believe that it will inspire community.
And with this in mind, some posts that I enjoyed this week.
- I adore this mixed media art journal page by Roben-Marie. So many nooks pathways + hiding spots to explore.
- The way that Mandy wrote her inked words is intriguing and imperfect in a beautiful way.
- Stephanie has been creating fresh art journal pages to interpret the new series of prompts called Prompt6ix. And Jana has been painting pages in response to the prompt as well - with her child as a helper! {Learn more about Prompt6ix here, a fresh one each Tuesday.}
- Kim wrote I Miss the Old Blogland {thank you to Marit for the heads-up}
- Marit wrote Contemplation. With so much going on in our lives, what place does blogging hold?
- Seth writes about changes in the world of blogging at The Altered Page and launches a HUGE directory of art blogs.
- Mary describes a bunch of her 26 acts of kindness, and has a list of one hundred ways to be creative.
- Amy Cowen shares a bunch of links, and a mention about the DY art journal prompt cards {thanks!}
- Ben's Journal has the coolest post about index cards. I-N-D-E-X cards. Don't forget to restock.
2. Writing. Creating. Sharing. Please comment once in awhile, even if all you want to say is hello. It helps me see that folks are reading and what I am saying makes any sort of sense. I'm just like you. When I think I'm talking to myself, my motivation starts to slip. And I might get crazy ideas like sorting laundry or organizing the pantry. Imagine the guilt you'll feel if that happens.
3. Commenting. There's so much out there that is free to enjoy. An art journal page, an eloquent haiku, a tip about making jasmine rice, the angle of a photograph, information on pruning roses, knitting instructions, a free quilt pattern, an f-stop clarification, podcast interviews. Things that make me think, make me smile, give me an idea, push me to reframe my perspective, to open up more. It is not possible to read all of the great blogs out there so I will read fewer blogs so that I can comment on more. You can't go to the book store and read a page from each book. I committed to leaving 21 comments {see my21 Kindnesses post}. I've left approx. 11 comments this week.
4. Guest posting on Star Gardener's Right Brain Planner! I am so happy to be in Teresa's world. Plus she called me amazing. And I kind of like that.
5. Doodling on the pages of Dawn DeVries Sokol's new book. Art Doodle Love: A Journal of Self-Discovery
6. Interviewing artists. Another great interview is forthcoming! In the mean-time, read the interviews with ① Marit Barentsten, mixed media artist and founder of Featuring Magazine. ②: Mixed media artist Natasha White. ③ Podcaster and fiber artist Amy Cowen.
7. Filming my workshop for 21 Secrets. I'll be teaching with a cadre of amazing artists. My workshop is "Watercolor Playground" and here's the description:
"We will create playful and fun art journal backgrounds with watercolors and fill our colorful pages using a variety of journaling techniques. Our focus will be on enjoying the process of painting, writing and creating. We will concentrate on the beauty of each color, the texture of the paper, the way the paint flows from the brush. We will select colors intuitively, not from a color wheel. Art journaling is all about the process of getting color and images and words on paper. The experience, not the finished page, is what it is all about. In this workshop we will create a set of playful art journal backgrounds using watercolor and fill our colorful pages using a variety of journaling and lettering techniques."
Registration is now open, and if you register through Daisy Yellow at THIS LINK ---> 21 Secrets <--- I get a small payment!!!
Reader Comments (23)
Great post, Tammy. How do you take the time to write and post AND create?!?!? That' seems to be my biggest problem at the moment. I'd love to spend more time 'playing' in my journal and try new techniques... well, little by little I'll get where I'd like to be (at least that's what I'm telling myself)
Thank you for linking to my blog! This is much appreciated :)
{Tammy} The younger your kids, the harder it is to sneak in or claim creative time to yourself. I think the key for me is avoiding housework as much as possible.
Thanks for this post, Tammy. It has given me lots to look at, but more so, lots to think about. I can sometimes be a bit of a... 'lurker' (although I hate how horrible that word sounds), and read and enjoy lots of blog posts, but don't get as far as commenting - even if I comment on something in my head. Crazy, I know. So, I'm going to try harder, and also, update and sort out my own blog. I've neglected it for a long time with 1001 excuses, but sorting it out could be fun, so thanks.
Arty love x
{Tammy}: Charlotte, I think we blog because it is something we feel a strong need to do. To connect, to organize our art lives, whatever it is, if you want to, you will find time and energy to do it. Thank you for commenting today, after all it is a FRESH start.
Thanks for all the great links. I have had various blogs since 2008 and used to do this so I know how time consuming it is but I really appreciate all the new places you linked to!!
{Tammy}: Danielle, I read so many really good blog posts, and it is just a matter of getting back into the habit of copying the URLS into a blog post, I know I can do it if I focus on it. I hope you find some fun new blogs to explore.
I've become so lax over the last year with blogging, but I'm trying to get more interactive again, instead of just flipping by everything in my Google reader.
I think maybe 2012 was a year of pulling back to the bare essentials for me. Particularly with the severe sleep problems my youngest has. Everything is hard to do when you're constantly exhausted!
So the last week has felt like I've been waking up from a fog, so to speak.
I'm emailing myself the link to this so I can read all the lovely links you've put in while said sleepless-child is hogging my computer. ;)
Also? Just preordered Dawn's book on amazon (it's released in the UK on Feb 5th!)... so exciting!
And of COURSE Teresa said you're amazing! You ARE! :)
(This is my way of just saying "hello!")
{Tammy}: Marylin, So nice to see you here! It is true. When you are exhausted, not feeling well, taking care of others, it is draining and well... exhausting! I hope that your fog continues to lift, lift, lift like the puffy clouds I saw in the Texas sky this morning after the thunderstorms last night.
Great idea!
Looking forward to reading your guest post on right brain planner(committed follower).
{Tammy}: Kim, Thank you for saying hello!
Hi!!
Love the linking, I check your blog everyday! I have a favorites list, and I check the same ones all the time, and these links will give me more to see, its a great thing, thank you!!
{Tammy}: Jennifer, I do think it's good to shake things up. Some blogs that I used to read just didn't resonate with me any more, as my interests shift and change. I hope you find some good new blogs to read. I find new ones every day, it's hard to imagine how many blogs there must be.
THIS is what I've been looking for over the last few months. Committed blogging...with fresh ideas and thoughts and being able to visit different blog and come away with ideas, a different slant on a subject, being able to think, to communicate and to share. Facebook doesn't really offer that. I don't do pinterest or twitter and all of that is sound bytes, nothing concrete. I think it's also why I don't like texting. Thank you for all these links and for keeping blogging fresh!
{Tammy}: Sherry, I'm THRILLED that you like this idea. It's been churning in my mind for months, trying to figure out what to do. I pondered giving up the whole blogging thing, but it makes more sense to just make it BETTER and see what happens!
hello, HELLO, HELLOOOOOO (I don't want to feel guilty, see?!) I love your well-thought blogpost today Tammy. It IS important to comment and let people know you read their words. I rather read less blogs and leave 'serieus' comments then hop around saying 'amazing' on every blog... know what I mean? I'm still 'contemplating' on my own blogwriting but after one-and-a-half week off, the creativity is flowing again and I have lots of fun ideas (yep, for the blog too!) I let them grow a little but my return to my blog will probably be with fun ideas and a big bang! Take care and enjoy the day dear one!
{Tammy}: Marit, my dear, so happy that you caught my little bit of evil-housework humour. It is true that really reading blog posts and commenting with thought provides more interaction than jumping from blog to blog trying to post as many comments as you can. Quality > Quantity. I am happy that you will be jumping back into your blog in the near future.
What a juicy, juicy posy, Tammy ! So much good stuff to inspire and peruse.
Thanks for the shout out.
Have a creative Wednesday !
{Tammy}: Kim, You are welcome. We are on the same wavelength, so let's get going!
Oh my gosh! I'm so excited that you shared my links! That's awesome. I think it's definitely important to put more effort into things like this (e-mail vs. text, letter vs. e-mail) because it's such better quality. <33 Keep being creatively productive.
WoW!
It's nice to "read" that some think blogging is a dying "art form" pun intended!
Don't like Twitter etc, was taught "not those words" - they offended.
Did have a blog in blog land, long, long ago
Am grateful for this blog it sparks one's mojo.
Sorry for this lame attempt in rhyme
Yet felt the need to make the time
Just to say Helloooooooooooooo (and distract you from cleaning pots)
Thanks - your blog rocks!
I read your blog daily. You are amazing! - I don't know how you manage to do everything you do. After reading about supplies, I went straight to amazon & bought me some gelly roll pens. I love them!
Thank you for a fantastic and inspirational site.
funny to read this post just now as I was weeding out my reading list (I kid you not, I took a break from purging to read this post!)
Your idea of read less so you can comment more really resonates with me.
plus I feel the same as Marit - I like to say something with some kind of thought behind it, and that takes more time than just saying "I love it".
but then here you are adding links to more fabulous blogs to add to my reading list....
Hello! So many great posts, as always. I recently decided to set aside some time to read blogs again on my computer not my phone. It was fast and easy but I know I stopped interacting nearly as much and while I still enjoyed reading the blogs it wasn't the same. I find the best stuff from other people mentioning it or posting a link so it's really appreciated.
Hi always inspired by your blog I have found so many interesting and inspiring artists thru your blog. I am guilty of infrequent commenting as I HATE it when I have to spell out nonsensical words to be able to post as it always takes me a couple of try's . Anyhoo tats my 2 cents worth
You are definitely not talking to yourself! :-) Though oddly enough I tend to find doing laundry a great stress reliever. Looking forward to your 21 Secrets workshop!
Yours is one of the few blogs I visit regularly! I love your style and your words... {I'm a color junkie too!} Thanks for all of the great links...it'll give me something to do when I should be doing boring stuff I don't wanna do. :)
Tammy - thanks so much for the mention. I'm honored I made Daisy Yellow!
-Ben
excellent post . . . looking forward to reading all the links . .. off for a short date with the sewing machine :):) Working on repainting the Kitchen "wildflower Honey and Sweet maple" sounds good huh? we painted over stenciling of 25 years - we put it there when we moved in . . . the house is 191 years old so stenciling fits but not sure if we will replace or not.
Have a great weekend. Did you find a suitable lettering source?
Thank you for linking my Prompt6ix spread. I read your blog everyday and for some reason I totally missed this! The 30th was my birthday and I wasn't online much. I must have skipped my normal blog reading routine that day. I love these prompts and hope that you will continue them.